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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stock — shares
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. net — after costs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — a song
  14. current — electric
  15. net — for catching
  16. current — happening now
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — of water
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — of water
  23. track — a path
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com